The document provides guidance on conducting a literature review in 5 stages: 1) searching the literature; 2) reading critically and with purpose; 3) recording bibliographic details; 4) synthesizing, evaluating, and organizing the information; and 5) writing the review. It offers tips for each stage, such as identifying key authors, tracing influential works, and noting important concepts from sources. The document stresses the importance of reading strategically and taking notes to properly understand arguments and identify an author's position.

1. Approaching your literature review
There are five stages to your literature review:
1. Searching the literature
2. Reading critically and with a purpose
3. Recording bibliographical materials
4. Synthesising/evaluating/organising
5. Writing

2. 1. Literature search
The literature search will help you identify scope and key
issues. Efficient searching will help you:
 Identify which authors are interested in your specialism
and those who take a generalist’s view.
 Trace authors who are prominent in your subject and
who can help you justify the importance of your research
idea.
 Include the authors would or could contradict your ideas.
Read the easier articles first. Difficult or badly written
articles will probably be easier to understand if you read
them last when you have gained familiarity with your
subject.

3. Scan the text first
For the preliminary scan, don’t read the articles closely so
as to avoid getting mired in detail.
It may help to note down the key points for each article.
When reading you should keep the following in mind:
 What are the authors’ academic reputation?
 Identify the research question and the specific
hypotheses, the findings and how the findings were
interpreted.
 Are the authors objective or does their work appear to
have a particular bias?
Is contrary data considered and discussed or is it ignored?

4. 2. Reading critically and with purpose
How to bring purpose to your
reading:
 Identify which ideas or
information are important to
your research
 Summarise & emphasise
 Which are less important and
can be covered briefly or left out.
 Identify major concepts,
conclusions, theories, arguments,
etc that underlie the work
 Look for similarities &
differences with closely related
work

5. Academic Reading
 Academic reading is a
particular skill. The way you
read is crucial.
 It is about being analytical in
your reading.
 You are not simply collecting
ideas, that makes broad sense
and summarising an area.
 You are specifically going in
there with an aim. You should
always be strategic in nature.
 Always take notes as you
read.
You’re not just reading to find out
what someone has said, you are
looking for the gem to bring your
project alive.

6. 3. Recording bibliographical details
This is very important! It is very annoying to look back
over notes and want to reference something but not be
able to remember where it came from…
It can also help your reading to take note of:
Contents pages
Key points from an introduction
Indexes

7. Identifying an argument
Underlying an argument are points of view or ‘positions’
that people aim to convey to us, their audience.
Contributing arguments
The overall argument

8. Identifying an argument
Overall argument Contributing arguments
(1) Film adaptations should not be
judged on the original source
There is no such thing a text has an
‘essence’
People will differ on their opinion
about what the original text was about.
Criticism does not take on board the
difference in form between a book and
a film
It devalues what the director intended.
To add new meaning.

9. Identifying an argument
Overall argument Contributing arguments
(1) Film adaptations should be judged
on the original source
Films are marketed that they are
adaptations.
Audiences go to see film adaptations
because of their connection to the
book.
We do enjoy experience a novel come
to life on the big screen.
Film adaptations are more popular
than spec scripts.

10. Ways of identifying an explicit argument:
1. Position Authors have a position, or point of view that they attempt to
Is it an argument?
persuade their audience to accept.
2. Reasons/propositions Reasons are provided to support the conclusion. Reasons are also
referred to as ‘contributing arguments’ and ‘propositions’.
3. A line of reasoning A line of reasoning is a set of reasons, presented in logical order. It is
like a path leading the audience through the reasons, in steps,
towards the desired conclusions. It should be ordered so that it leads
clearly and logically from one reason to the next. In a poor line of
reasoning, it is difficult to see how each reason contributes to the
conclusion.
4. Conclusion Arguments lead toward a conclusion. The conclusion would normally
be the position that the author wants you to accept. However, it is
possible that the conclusion stated does not support the position that
the author is advocating.
5. Persuasion The purpose of an argument is to persuade the audience to a point of
view.
6. Signal words and
phrases
These help the audience follow the direction of the argument.

11. Clues to finding the conclusion
1. Start of passage Conclusions are often set out or indicated early in the message, such
Is it an argument?
as in the first or second sentence, or in the initial paragraph.
2. The end of a passage Conclusions are frequently located towards the end of a message,
such as in the final or penultimate sentence or paragraph.
3. Interpretive summary Look for a summary that interprets the line of reasoning and/or
makes deductions, often towards the end of a text where al the
evidence is brought together. However, summaries are not always
conclusions.
4.Signal words Look for words used to indicate that a conclusion is about to follow.
5. Challenges and
recommendations
These often form part of the conclusions. They often contain the
author’s position or point towards it.
6. Words indicating a
deduction
Look for words that express a probably or possible outcome or
interpretation.
(Cottrell, 2005: 47)